hier auch der Link   related discussion:Lebensgefahr -- mortal danger

I agree with Ferenczi, Maria E., and others in the previous thread that neither 'danger to life' nor the even stranger 'danger of life' is at all idiomatic. The closest similar real expression that comes to mind is 'danger to life and limb.' Are those phrases really used in English (by native speakers as opposed to just in EU-glish), and if so, is it only in some specialized context such as law or insurance?

Agree with hm and others.

The odd phrase "danger of life" to me brings to mind a warning label on a bottle in some futuristic chemistry set, where if you mix the contents with sand and water--presto! you've created some lower life-form.

So to the (very limited) extent it has any meaning at all, it is the opposite of the one intended by the topic author.

Agree with Peter(us). "Danger of life" sounds daft.

Danger of life sounds wrong to me other than with the meaning suggested by Peter <us> but apart from a lot of references to religious texts
e.g.
And there is permission of all food, (only) in the case of danger of life; on account of this being shown (by scripture).
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe38/sbe38237.htm

I also came across the following:

While one might find general agreement that rape and assault to the danger of life are 'serious' offences, most offences against the person vary significantly in their severity according to the circumstances.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/maclean/docs/svso-...

Im ANSI-Standard ANSI Z535 wird Danger alleine als Signalwort für Sicherheitshinweise der höchsten Gefahrenstufen (wenn ignoriert dann tot)vorgesehen.

Risk of death might be the most widely used term to describe Lebensgefahr (google yields 4.7 mio hits on the expression)

There does seem to be an old legal phrase "in danger of life, limb or health" (and variations on that):

"A. Commits an act in a violent and tumultuous manner toward another whereby that other is placed in danger of life, limb or health; ..." http://www.hartfordsd.us/vertical/Sites/{0786...

"child-welfare officials cannot remove a child unless his home life poses "imminent danger of life or health."" http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c47809...

"If a police officer stops a person for questioning pursuant to this section and reasonably suspects that he is in danger of life or limb," http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/41-98.htm

It's quite rare on Google:
34 for "danger of life, limb, or health".
18 for "danger of life or health"
188 for "danger of life or limb.
Books 1 - 10 with 47 pages on "danger of life or limb. (printed books)

How about adding "jur."?

Judicial Dictionary of Words and Phrases
by Frederick Stroud - Sweet & Maxwell, 1952
"I have observed that the danger of life, limb or health is usually inserted as the ground upon which the court has proceeded to a separation."

I have been wondering for some time where this stupid phrase "danger of life" came from. It should be avoided wherever possible, although some officialese documents might require it, I suppose. Good alternatives are:

Danger to life
Danger of death
Deathly danger
Deadly danger
Mortal danger
Mortal peril